Description
Bavarian spaetzle with mushroom sauce brings nostalgic comfort from southern Germany’s alpine regions. Rustic noodles nestled in rich, earthy mushroom cream sauce offer hearty warmth perfect for winter nights when comfort calls.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (590 ml) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 lb (454 g) button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
- 0.33 cup (80 ml) water
- 0.33 cup (80 ml) milk
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) white wine or additional broth
- 2 tbsps heavy cream (optional)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 4 tbsps butter, divided
- 0.25 cup (40 g) onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 0.5 tbsp tomato paste
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Batter Preparation: Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate container, blend water, milk, and eggs until smooth, creating a uniform mixture without lumps.
- Batter Development: Incorporate wet ingredients into dry components, beating vigorously for 5 minutes to develop elasticity. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes, enabling gluten relaxation and flavor melding.
- Noodle Formation: Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer. Using a spaetzle maker or scraper, drop small, irregular batter fragments into the water, creating delicate noodle-like shapes.
- Cooking Noodles: Monitor spaetzle as they float to the surface, indicating doneness. Remove promptly with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm serving dish.
- Sauce Base: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms until tender and slightly caramelized, developing deep, rich flavors.
- Sauce Development: Dust vegetables with flour, then introduce seasonings and tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping caramelized bits from the skillet’s bottom.
- Sauce Refinement: Pour in broth and simmer, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken. Optionally, stir in heavy cream for a luxurious, velvety texture.
- Serving: Generously ladle the aromatic mushroom sauce over warm spaetzle, ensuring complete coverage. Serve immediately to preserve optimal temperature and texture.
Notes
- Master Batter Technique: Whisk wet and dry ingredients thoroughly to prevent lumps and create a silky, elastic spaetzle dough with perfect texture.
- Resting Period Matters: Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes, enabling gluten relaxation and deeper flavor development for lighter, more tender noodles.
- Cooking Precision: Watch spaetzle carefully in simmering water; remove immediately when they float to prevent overcooking and maintain delicate texture.
- Sauce Building Secrets: Layer flavors by caramelizing vegetables, deglazing with wine, and reducing broth to create a rich, complex mushroom sauce that complements the spaetzle perfectly.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: German
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg